PayPal files trademark infringement complaint against Paytm for using similar colours in its logo

The global payments company claimed the Indian firm wanted access its 'global reputation and grow its user base'.

United States-based payments company PayPal has filed a trademark infringement complaint against Paytm for using similar colours in its logo. The complaint, filed with the Indian Trademark office in November, claimed the Alibaba-backed Paytm used the same “two-tone blue colour scheme” found in PayPal’s logo.

“While the first syllable in each mark is in [a] dark blue colour, the second syllable adopts a light blue colour,” the complaint said. Paytm’s use of the word “Pay” is also part of its effort to access PayPal’s “global reputation and grow its user base”, the complaint said.

PayPal’s complaint was filed on the last day of the time-frame allotted for registering trademark complaints against Paytm’s advertisements, The Economic Times reported. Intellectual property lawyer Samuel Niranjan said the filing was likely a “competitive move”. “It seems considering the popularity of Paytm recently (thanks to the demonetisation and the government’s push for digital payments), PayPal may have decided to file an opposition on the last day of the deadline,” he said.

Paytm offers mobile recharge and utility bill payments, besides being a marketplace to consumers on its mobile application. It has more than 100 million registered users, according to its website. Its user base has grown exponentially since Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8 announced the overnight invalidation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.